WASHINGTON -- Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity moved a step forward Wednesday with the announcement that Wal-Mart and other retailers plan over the next five years to open or expand 1,500 stores in areas without easy access to fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

"Make no mistake about it. This is a big deal. It is a really big deal," the first lady said at the White House, where she was joined by executives from the national and regional retailers.

I think this is a very big deal, as it represents a structural change. Since 80% of citizenry now live in urban settings, or adjacent to them, this could make a real, qualitative difference. Kudos to the First Lady, and Wal-Mart.

__________________If we'd just be 10% nicer to each other, we could transform the world.

I think this is a very big deal, as it represents a structural change. Since 80% of citizenry now live in urban settings, or adjacent to them, this could make a real, qualitative difference. Kudos to the First Lady, and Wal-Mart.

WASHINGTON -- The Agriculture Department wants consumers to know when there's less chicken in their chicken.

A proposed rule aimed at food companies would require that poultry and other raw meats be labeled appropriately when they're plumped up by added solutions such as chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, salt or water. The practice of adding those ingredients is common, but many consumers don't know about it.

With all the things on your mind, the last thing you need to worry about is whether the apple juice you finally convinced your kid to drink has arsenic in it. But an independent lab test of several different brands of apple juice, sponsored by Food & Water Watch and Empire State Consumer Project found a sample of Mott's Apple Juice contained 55 parts per billion of arsenic, exceeding the EPA tolerance level of 10 parts per billion. The FDA does not have a set tolerance level for juice.

If you’ve ever found yourself arguing about whether eating meat is healthy for you and the planet and, if so, which meat to eat, you now have some answers. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), which brought us the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of the 12 most pesticide-ridden fruits and vegetables, released a report yesterday showcasing the carbon footprint of 20 conventionally grown popular protein sources, from lentils to lamb.

As a nutrition specialist, I see many patients who are seeking advice about their diet and its possible connection to their health.

Take Anthony, who came to see me in consultation for improved management of his indigestion. Anthony had been eating a steady diet of high-calorie fast foods but had been able to keep his symptoms at bay with medications until recently. We quickly went to work on his diet to provide him some relief. Of course, Anthony was aware that he should cut back on the cheeseburgers and fries. But when it came to making less obvious food choices, he -- like many Americans -- was in the dark.

Last week, as health advocates around the nation raced against a deadline to submit comments to the federal government on food marketing to children, the food industry was busy doing what it does best: launching a massive PR campaign to undermine anything the feds might dare do to protect children from corporate predatory marketing.

What exactly got the likes of PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and McDonald’s in such a tizzy? You would think, by the tone and fervor of their reaction, that the government was imposing a complete ban on food marketing to children.

I appreciate that the term "genetically modified"-- as in genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically modified food (GMF) -- conjures images of Frankenstein's monster (or at least, Frankenstein's monster's lunch), and makes people freak out. I know it makes people freak out, because I hear from them about it routinely -- some to ask my opinion, others to offer theirs.

I'm just concerned about what I perceive as a pernicious sea change in the food choices we have, and the ill affects potential they represent to our health, and our environment. I'd feel much better if there were a robust discussion of the GMO issues, but it seems almost everyone wants to sweep it under the carpet.

How many more lives must be lost or irreversibly damaged before we finally accept the fact that industrialized farming is killing us?

On July 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a nationwide outbreak of a deadly strain of Salmonella food poisoning that is resistant to multiple antibiotics. According to the FSIS, the cases of Salmonella heidelberg were associated with the use and consumption of ground turkey. No supplier or source of the outbreak was provided. No names, no brands, no source -- just advice on cooking and handling meat properly.